Blog 1 for "speads": CULT OF THE UGLY by Steven Heller

Steven Heller has published more than 60 books on the subject of illustration, typography, and other subjects relating to graphic design. Over the years, Heller has kept track and written about trends in design.

In "Cult of the Ugly" Steven Heller brings the question of what beauty is to our minds. He compares the beauty standards of typography and other design from decade to decade and era to era. In the article, Heller emphasizes on the ugly integrating with the beauty during the 1970s wave of the Punk subculture. He illustrates how the punk scene was dedicated to the shock factor, which eventually led to what was considered "ugly" design to be considered high design and also to ask the question "Where does beauty begin and where does it end?" Heller also brings to mind John Keats famous line, "Beauty is truth, truth Beauty - that is all/Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know" but insists that anyone's beauty can and will be another person's ugly.

Thoughts:

Your beauty is another person's ugly

The standards of beauty change from decade to decade and era and era

Your beauty is not the norm

The idea of "good design" is always to be challenged

Take the ugly, make it pretty and vice versa

"Ugliness is valid, even refreshing, when it is key to an indigenous language representing alternative ideas and cultures."

Esplanin' a Vague Thriller

Vague: Not clearly expressed; inexplicit.

Thriller: a book, film, play, etc., depicting crime, mystery, or espionage in an atmosphere of excitement and suspense

How can I make the a book cover for the The Giver read vague thriller?

Vague cover examples:

Thriller cover examples:

The cover should of course reveal that there will be a thrill here and there, then again shit doesn't pop off until basically the end of the book. Before then, we barely know how anything works except for assigning jobs, spouses, children, etc. However, we do not how the Council of Elders regulate such a thing. This will be interesting...

Journal entry one

Writer's Toolbox covers the organizational aspects of writing. However, how can these be applied to design? Design is a practice that takes a lot organization, especially graphics. When in the initial process stage of any work, itis always a good a idea to make concept maps and word lists. Along with those two, it is always handy to keep a sketchbook around to jot down notes, ideas, observations, and of course various little doodles as you go through the design process. Writer's Toolbox sums up the section by saying that writing is an ongoing process, which we all know is very true of design. Usually what is concentrated on isn't the product of design, but the long grueling process of it all, from seeing the hundreds of initial sketches and of course the hits and miss of the sketch concepts.